Stumbling Jaguars roughed up by Brees, Saints

NEW ORLEANS - The Jacksonville Jaguars figured New Orleans' Drew Brees would play despite a torn plantar fascia in his right foot.

They were right, but probably wished they were wrong.

The Jaguars allowed Brees to throw for 412 yards and three touchdowns, and Jacksonville couldn't keep up after a slow start, losing 38-27 to the Saints on Sunday.

"I just know Drew Brees," Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley said. "Talk about respect - the highest respect for him and how he goes out and competes and he just really executes. Sure enough, he did it again tonight."

Though Jacksonville had dropped three of its previous four games, none of the losses was by more than six points. Sunday's script, however, was different for the Jags (5-10), who haven't won more than five games since 2010.

New Orleans (6-9) jumped to a 24-0 lead. Jacksonville allowed the Saints to convert eight of 13 third downs on their way to 537 total yards. And for just the second time this season, the Saints had a running back go for more than 100 yards as Tim Hightower finished with 122.

Brees, who was limited in practice during the week, didn't miss a beat. He threw for 169 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter, staking the Saints to a 14-0 lead, the first score a 17-yarder to Michael Hoomanawanui, the second a 71-yarder to Brandin Cooks.

Two of the Saints' first four scores came after Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles threw interceptions.

"Being able to stay on top of attention to detail, especially when playing a team like that led by a guy like Drew, as an offense you've got to be able to try and keep him off the field and you're going to have to put up points because he's going to do that," said Bortles, who finished with 368 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.

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